Jav record built on strength of innings pitched

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

All of the buzz last summer around Sports Illustrated cover girl Mo’ne Davis, the pitching sensation at the Little League World Series, was not lost on Madison Wiltrout.

She could relate.

“That was very cool,” Wiltrout said of Davis. “I was very happy for her. I know what she’s been through as a girl pitcher, and hearing boys talk about being struck out by a girl. I know how that goes.”

The sophomore from Connellsville PA pitched on co-ed baseball teams from the time she was in the second grade all the way through the eighth.

Wiltrout’s pitching arm is now throwing javelins, which helps explain how someone who just began the throwing event last year has suddenly become the national high school record holder.

Wiltrout took one attempt last week and threw 185 feet, 8 inches to break Haley Crouser’s 2012 national record (181-2). Coming as it did in a routine WPIAL meet, one uninformed meet official declared that national records can only be set at the national championships. (All that’s really needed is a precise steel-tape measurement and some paperwork).

The progress for Wiltrout has been stunning. A year ago, Wiltrout’s mom, Amy, typed “how to throw a javelin” into a Youtube search.

And in Madison’s first competition she threw the spear a promising 126 feet. The arc on her progress has been shooting skyward ever since.

“(Javelin) has grown on me,” Wiltrout said. “When I first started it made me pretty sore. But as I go on, I’m starting to love it more.”

A background in pitching baseballs may have something to do with Wiltrout’s early success, even as she learns to master the footwork and body positions that are crucial to maximizing the distance on javelin throws.

“I honestly think that's a huge aspect to everything that’s happening,” Wiltrout said. “(Pitching) made my arm stronger.”

The previous three national high school record-holders – Rachel Yurkovich (176-5 in 2005), Avione Allgood (176-8 in 2011) and Crouser – were all volleyball players. They attributed some of their throwing success to the arm swing necessary to spike volleyballs.  

Wiltrout topped out at 151-1 last year and won the state title as a freshman. She is coached by Mike Coleman and has also gotten regular advice from 1972 Olympic bronze medalist Bill Schmidt.

This year, Wiltrout kicked off her outdoor season with a throw of 164-11 on April 10 and then upped her PR to 168-5 at the Penn Relays – a mark that surpassed the meet record by finished second behind Missouri’s Sophia Rivera (169-6).

Not even Wiltrout thought she would get a 17-foot improvement in her next meet. She didn’t even have the national record in mind as a season goal, she said.

“That was more of a longer (term) goal, not for that meet, or anytime this year,” Wiltrout said.

Her next opportunity to throw is Thursday (May 14) at the WPIAL Championships.

It may be advisable to have a steel tape handy.

Already, the goals are beginning to become clearer to the 15-year-old. There are some choices to make about what meets to do in the postseason this year. But in 2016, the Olympic Trials are very much on the table.

Wiltrout’s story is evolving quickly, but as she said: “We have higher goals (now).”